04/06/2012 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

             HB 326-CHILD-ONLY HEALTH CARE COVERAGE                                                                         
3:40:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 326,  "An Act requiring  health care  insurers to                                                               
offer a child-only policy; and providing for an effective date."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:41:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVID   GUTTENBERG,  Alaska   State  Legislature,                                                               
stated that  HB 326 is a  child-only health care bill.   The bill                                                               
would  tell providers  that the  legislature would  like them  to                                                               
offer a health care plan  for children only.  Children qualifying                                                               
for other plans  are not eligible, but a gap  exists for coverage                                                               
for healthy  children who do not  qualify for Denali Kid  Care or                                                               
do not  fall under some other  plan.  The bill  would not require                                                               
any  discount or  mandates  just an  insurance  plan for  healthy                                                               
children.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  related his understanding this  coverage was offered                                                               
until about a year ago.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG  agreed  that  the last  time  it  was                                                               
offered was in 2010.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  recalled changes  occurred in  the federal  law that                                                               
has adversely affected children-only policies.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:42:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:42 p.m. to 3:47 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:47:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LINDA HALL,  Director, Division  of Insurance,  Anchorage Office,                                                               
Department   of  Community   &   Economic  Development   (DCCED),                                                               
introduced herself,  but was unable  to testify due  to technical                                                               
difficulties in the transmission from Anchorage.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 3:48 p.m. to 3:49 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:49:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON pointed  out a  number of  people had  signed up  to                                                               
testify from  Anchorage via teleconference, but  due to technical                                                               
difficulties could not do so.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
[HB 326 was held over.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:51:15 PM